MonoSol makes water-soluble polymer films and similar solutions for a spectrum of industrial and commercial applications. The company got its start in the early 1950s and since 2012 has been owned by Kuraray, a synthetic fiber company based in Japan.
Kuraray acquired MonoSol in an effort to expand its vinyl acetate chemical chains business not only in Japan but also in the US, Europe, and throughout Asia. At the time the deal was announced, Kuraray called MonoSol “a leading manufacturer of poval films for various industrial applications such as packaging films for unit dose detergent products as well as agrochemicals and dyes, mold-release films for synthetic marble and so on.”
Momentum
To keep up with demand for its ag chem, solid surfaces, and other products along with higher demand for laundry and dishwashing products, MonoSol has been growing. In 2012, the company employed around 300 workers and today that number is over 500. MonoSol is based in Northern Indiana and has facilities in Merrillville, Portage, and LaPorte.
In 2015, MonoSol opened a second, 300,000 square foot plant in Portage, as nwitimes.com reports.
New markets
Now, thanks to a deal signed back in July, MonoSol has perpetual license to the patented intellectual property that makes Tide Pods and other film-based technologies in agriculture, oil, gas, and water industries possible.
So MonoSol is taking the film solution to new markets, including cosmetics and personal care. In a press release about the patent deal, the company explains, “from its unit-dose market foundation in the agricultural chemical industry, MonoSol is venturing into new spaces such as personal care…to help customers make life easier, safer and more convenient.”
And, as Joseph S. Pete implies in his item for nwitimes.com, this move into new markets will only mean more growth for MonoSol.